


a love song

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bands, Declarations Of Love, First Kiss, M/M, References to Depression, bandstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24410551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: John and Dave are bandmates. Dave always writes the lyrics to their songs, but lately they've been seeming a bit off.
Relationships: John Egbert & Dave Strider, John Egbert/Dave Strider
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	a love song

Dave met John when they were in high school.  John's been playing the keys for years.  Dave was used to turning tables but he learned the guitar just because John wanted to make some shit band. They got friend to play the bass and Jade always tries to find someone to play the drums but no one else ever sticks around.

Dave was working hard on making some new licks and lyrics.  Apparently his freestyles raps translate well into rock songs when Dave edits them down a bit so Dave was in charge of writing down all the songs.  John's was surprised that lately all of Dave's songs have been about heartbreak and heartache.

John asked Jade if she knew anything about it.

"I don't know! He's your best friend." Jade shrugged off the comment and went back to stumming her bass. "You should ask him."

"I did! Dave just told me that it's just crap he thinks people will like but... it just sounds so personal."

_ stepping down a trail of nothing _

_ grasping on empty straws _

_ restless nights turn into restless days _

_ hiding behind written words is my new unwritten law _

The lyrics weren't any worse or better than usual, still John thought the words sounded way too emotional for someone as cavalier as Dave. John decided to take this up with his best friend.

"Hey, Dave." John held up the sheet of scribbled lyrics. "We have to talk about these new lyrics you gave us to work with."

"Yeah, man." Dave nods, his guitar in his lap as he's hunched over. "They all suck cause their drafts. Don't judge them too harshly, I know they're shit."

"No... it's just..." John brings the sheet down in front of him and looks at it, "they seem so... sad."

"I can lighten them up a bit." Dave keeps tuning his guitar. "Maybe they're lonely, I could write some more lyrics to keep them company so they won't be so damn depressing." Dave joked.

"Maybe they are lonely." John repeated for Dave. "Dave... are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, man... they are just lyrics." Dave shrugs, still turning the knobs on the top of his guitar. "I'll get over how bad they suck and trust me, I'll write something less depressing soon."  


"But all of your written lately is this sad." John walks forward to stand next to Dave.

Dave shrugs again, "yeah... but whatever."

"Dave." John demanded his attention. "Don't just brush this aside. If you're depressed, you can talk to me about it."

"I'm on my meds man, I'm cool." Dave sighed and returned to tuning his guitar, slowly turning the white knob on the top.

"Well then what about all this heartache stuff?" John asks bluntly.  


Suddenly one of Dave's guitar stings breaks.

"What? Man... That's just for... you know, the masses like that sappy crap." Dave blew it off again.

"Okay. Then maybe try to write something about what you're feeling right now."

"What? Pressured?" Dave asks.

"No. I meant what you're actually feeling in your life. Like what's going down in Dave town?" John tilts his head and asks Dave for so very little.  


"Fine, I'll work on something like that." Dave just blows John off.

"Great. I want you to work on that tonight for me, we need something for our next show." John walks off, leaving Dave alone to think. Later in the day, John came back to find Dave's notebook was left open where he left Dave to think. John glanced over the first lines he saw that weren't crossed out or scribbled over.   


_ a glow in my heart _

_ reminds me that my faith is not misplaced _

_ a light hidden behind a straight face _

_ still i feel stuck but bound by- _

"Hey!" Dave swiped the notebook out of John's hands. "Not all of those are for you to read. Ask me to show you something first!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to snoop, you left the page open!" John lifts up his hands as he apologizes. "I liked it though, it felt warm..."

"Well, it was private." Dave closed his notebook, turning away from John as he shut the pages. "And it's crap anyway."

"Dave, I loved that!" John defended what he read. "Why don't you write more stuff like that!?"

Dave sighed, he turned to face John head on. "Why don't you try to write lyrics, see how easy that is."

"I don't think I could..." John admits, "write anything that personal."

Dave was giving John a look, a look like he wanted a bit of sympathy right now.

"I could try I... guess." John shrugged and put pen down to paper.  


_ sun shineing down on my hair _

_ stepping out for morning air _

_ breeze blowing around in open space-- _

"Dave!?" John calls out. "What rhymes with space?"

"What are you writing about?" Dave asks as he strums his guitar.

"A nice day." John nods.

Dave coughs into his hand, outstretching the other one so he could read the lyrics.

"This is... this isn't really _rock_ is it, John?" Dave points out as he finishes reading it.

"Our music can be about whatever, it just has to sound cool!" John beamed.

Dave sighed. "Sure... This'll be baller John."

John makes fun of Dave by saying, "when you remix songs on those turn table things, don't they sound cool."

Dave answers, "disk jockeying can make anything sound cool."

"Is that what DJ stands for?" John asks.

"What did you think it stands for, dick juice?" 

John starts cracking up at Dave's joke, holding onto his sides.

Dave laughs out of his nose, he corrects the display of emotion by going back to being stone faced. He c ontinues to strum on his guitar. John leaves Dave alone for a few moments to think again, heads over to the bathroom and then comes back to write more of his own work. Just to see that Dave's gone somewhere else again... maybe just a quick peak wouldn't hurt...  


_ laughter bright like the sun _

_ shoots me right though the heart like a gun _

_ smile smooth like honey _

_ thinks every word out of my mouth is funny _

"What did I say about going through my things!" Dave strips the notebook out of John's hands.

"But Dave! I need some inspiration so I can write!"  


"No you don't need shit! You just write what comes to mind, and don't fucking play me! I know you write ghostbuster poems in your down time!" Dave points at John as he protects his notebook from prying eyes. "You have all the inspiration you need without violating my journal with your prying eyes. 

"I love what I just read from you, Dave!" John pats Dave's arm. "You never let me read your happy crap!"

"That's because it's crap!" Dave repeats what John just said.

"No! It's good!" John defends Dave's work. "It's like... romantic!"

"God damn it." Dave drops his head down.

"let me guess..." John's smile grew. "You're in loooooveee!"

"No." Dave was trying to shut down the conversation. "No. No. Not talking about this."

"You're in love!" John pointed at Dave. "You're in love and that's why all your writing is so sad and sappy! Because you're scared of rejection!" John poked his best friend. "I finally figured it out!!!"  


"John! Lay off!" Dave swatted John away.

"You didn't deny it!" John poke Dave again.

"John!" Dave whines. "Just... let this go, okay?"

"How can I just let this go!?" John places his hands on his hips. "I need to get to the bottom of this!"

"Oh God." Dave slaps himself in the face, he started rubbing his face against his palm.

"Who do you like? Is it someone you're around everyday!?" John asks. "Someone close to you!?"

"John. Stop." Dave mumbles.

"I'm right, aren't I?!" John gets excited.  "Hmmm. Let's see. It has to be someone who always laughs at everything you say and always makes you happy, right?"

"John." Dave sighs into his hand. "Just... drop it. I'm not telling you."

John happily claps his hands together, "it's me, isn't it!?"

Dave slowly drags his hand off of his face, his eyes are wide open behind his black shades.

Dave looks down at the ground and slowly over to John.

John was grinning and humming to himself. Quietly laughing in his throat.

Dave couldn't bring himself to say anything. He wasn't sure why John looked so pleased with that, he was sure the guy was straight. Maybe John was just toying around with him, maybe he was only kidding. Maybe Dave could weasel his way out of this like he always does.

Then, out of the blue, John leaned forward quickly and pecked Dave on the lips.

John pulled away.  "I think your poems about me are beautiful, Dave."

Dave's face turned completely flushed.

"Can I read more now?" John tilted his head as he asked.

"Yea-yeah. Su-sure." Dave managed to get out the words.

John softly smiled, "thank you."


End file.
